An Arab-American woman sees signs of hope.

October 28, 2007

Fight Breast Cancer: Cabbage and Pomegranate

The first time around with breast cancer I decided not to bother with eating a lot of hippie food. I was going to eat a normal, recommended diet and forgo the quinoa, the seaweed, and other strange things you eat a lot of if you are freaked out about cancer. I did check with my doctors who said that 3-5 glasses of wine per week were safe - no more - so I kept to that number. But I did not cut out red meat, or dairy, or sugar, or white flour, or fried foods. I tried to eat the really bad stuff sparingly but I ate mostly whatever I wanted.

This time around I am ready to follow best practices with food. The metastasis is on my liver so my digestion had become poor anyway. As soon as I heard there was a possibility of a problem on my liver, I went off coffee, sugar, meat, cream and alcohol.

I will probably never drink alcohol again...The evidence on breast cancer and alcohol is becoming stronger, and in my situation I don't need to take chances. Anyway, my poor liver can't handle it right now, and when it gets better (it WILL get better - the meds are shrinking the tumors) I would be a fool to stress the liver again for any reason.

UCSF, a National Institutes of Health cancer research hospital where I get my treatment, publishes a series of booklets on nutrition and specific cancers. I brought home the breast cancer and nutrition handbook last week, and found plenty of things I didn't know.

How about them pomegranates? Research shows that pomegranates contain a compound that eats breast cancer cells. The most powerful form of it is the oil from seed, but you get the effects from eating the fruit or drinking the juice, too. We have great pomegranates here in California (people grow them in their yards) and I have been eating them this month; I also take about 500 mg of the seed oil daily.

Cruciferous vegetables: I knew they were good for you, and I ate broccoli pretty regularly before my diagnosis - hey, even my kids eat broccoli. But I didn't realize how important cabbage is. Its cancer-fighting properties are stronger when it's raw or lightly cooked; it's extra powerful when it has been fermented. I eat sauerkraut almost every day now, and have gone through two jars of Korean kimchee (spicy fermented cabbage) in the last month.

Eat much less red meat (I eat none at all now). Don't eat grilled foods - those delectable charred bits are full of carcinogens. Eat cold water fish, especially sardines and anchovies and other such fish low on the food chain. Of course you knew you should eat whole grains and plenty of fresh produce.

Now if you want to add a little broccoli to your menus, why don't you just steam the florets lightly and dress with lemon juice, olive oil and salt? My hubbie also likes it with parmesan and olive oil.

In Lebanon people eat cauliflower sauteed and dressed with lemon or with a tahini sauce - really tasty. A Beiruti friend who is a fabulous cook served us cauliflower mixed with diced, sauteed potatoes and dressed with fresh coriander, lemon and olive oil. Oh man was that good...

Quinoa is actually pretty tasty, you know. Just rinse it in a lot of water, repeating about four times. The saponin makes it taste bitter so you can't just rinse in a little water - flood those grains. Then cook as for white rice - water to quinoa ratio is 2:1; salt; a fat like olive oil or butter; bring to a boil then simmer on low for twenty minutes. Turn off flame and let stand for five minutes, fluff and serve. It's like South American couscous but much higher protein, with a lightly nutty flavor.

Eating healthy food is a pleasure if you just take the trouble to cook it well. Today my friend made a vegetarian feast for a party, the highlight of which was a raw spinach salad with pomegranate seeds, persimmon chunks, and pecans. Yum...

Pure cranberry juice with a little lemon in the morning before breakfast (an alternative to coffee?) and pomegranate juice after dinner (my farmers market source says it’s the best time for it but I forgot why).

Tumeric is supposed to be helpful, too. I’ve always enjoyed your recipes, so now you’re into pomegranates I’ll be looking for your take on Muhamarra.

Pomegranate juice is particularly good now because the fruit is in season. My farmer's market has a vendor who sells freshly pressed, organic pomegranate juice. The taste is richer and more satisfying than bottled juice made from concentrate.

I have been shopping organic and at farmer's markets since 1981 or so. My diet was never "perfect" but it always included lots of fresh produce and much less meat than the average American. I also enjoyed fresh grains, even quinoa, and had been eating them all my life.

Diet is not the only factor in breast cancer - in fact research studies have not been able to find a strong link between diet and breast cancer. There are many other factors, most unknown; they are looking at light pollution; of course all the plastic in our lives, which contains hormone disruptors; and the many pesticides and toxic chemicals that contaminate our modern life.

I do believe there is also an emotional component. The work of Carl Simonton and Bernie Siegel resonates with me.

Oh by the way - I had been eating fresh-ground flax seed in yogurt with turmeric for at least the past two years. Now I take a gram of turmeric extract (curcuminoid) as a supplement daily.

Leila,
You might want to check this book. http://www.amazon.ca/Foods-That-Fight-Cancer-Preventing/dp/0771011350
The author is a Ph.D. and a leading researcher on cancer, well known here in Canada and a colleague to my husband. His book was first published in French and is now available in English. In the book he mentions all the food you are eating now and mush more.

By the way, did you see Atom Egoyan's 'Ararat' ? In the movie, Charles Aznavour holds throughout the movie a pomegranate. It is a beautiful fruit and I used to have one pomegranate tree in our garden in Lebanon.

Moreover, I get to know Aleppo's cuisine from mys siter in law and did you know that they use unsweetened pomegranate syrup on practically everything, even on the kebbé. they also use it in salads to replace lemon juice.

Cookbooks

Deborah Madison: Vegetarian Cooking for EveryoneIndispensable - I use it all the time, and give it as presents to brides, young people starting out, etc. Not for vegetarians only - hence the title - a great resource for anybody wanting delicious recipes for vegetables, grains and legumes. Great sauces and salads, too.